Stila eye shadows are absolutely fantastic. They go on really sheer (with your fingers, even!) but if I want more color I just keep smudging. And if you and some water with your brush, they color bumps up a little bit and I even use it as an eyeliners! Also, they’re (relatively) cheap and small enough to stick in a clutch for touch-ups. My favorite color is Espresso. :)

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Beige. Okay, yes, it’s supposed to be for your face, but who wants a shimmery face? It’s perfect for the eyes and totally foolproof. Plus, it’s like five shadows in one so it’s a steal. I know it’s shimmery but just try it. (No, really, you have to try it).

Try L’occitane eyeshadow. I know! totally unexpectable to hear but l’occitane’s eyeshadows have surprised me. They’re long lasting, natural earthy coloured and you know that you’re not putting some poison on your skin as the ingridients are more natural.

I stopped buying other eyeshadows ( Dior- too smudgy and oily, Chanel- overpriced and doesn’t last that long, Mac- very good actually!) and have been using L’occitane shadow for 3 years now. Helene 03 is my favourite.

I too recently decided that eyeliner on its own is too boring, and that its time to branch out. I have not purchased the Chanel illusion d’ombre as I have a fear of sparkle and fear that those shadows are on teh wrong side of the shimmer/sparkle borderline.

I really like Sali Hughes columns in the Guardian on beauty. She has one on cream eyeshadows and on single colour eyeshadows. The Tom Ford shadow in Platinum is no longer available I think, so maybe start with Estee Lauder Shadow Creme in Ivory Lace and go from there?

After talking about the Woman – yesterday I watched the movie “Poltergeist “(1982)………… Garans watching the main character, I thought of you. I do not know if you find any resemblance, but for me the resemblance is stunning. By the way the film is great, and the fashion at the time made ??me sad romantic.http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4281763840/tt0084516

As you can see I like my shadows sort of smokeable, but not too dark either, and I swear every one I’ve listed is super easy to use and can go from sort of natural and subtle to dramatic and smudgy with very little effort. As much as I love my makeup, I certainly don’t want to spend tons of time applying it!

The Naked palette is perfect! 12 eyeshadows and a great brush! You can wear only one eyeshadow or at first you can try to play with 2 eyeshadows. Then you learn or watch a naked palette tutorial on youtube!

Have you considered W3ll people? They have multi-use colors for cheeks, lips and eyes that look great and come in easy to use no mess tube. They go on as a cream and stay put but are easy to manipulate for how little or how much you want. It could be a great way to add a little splash of color without much commitment and add some glow without worrying about did I put on too much? You can even just buy a little sample that comes in a tiny little circular case easy to pop in your pocket or purse. They also of course have eyeshadow colors in neutrals but I prefer the glow of the same color I use for my cheeks swiped across the lid and a bit of liner. I think I use one not even necessarily meant for eyes but it all works well! http://www.w3llpeople.com

Since you do your makeup on the go, I would highly recommend eyeshadow pencils. I like Urban Decay’s 24/7 sticks. My favourite colour is Wasteland – a brown with some green undertones. I scribble it on and go. The nuances in the colour make it seem as though I blended 3 colours together!

Clinque’s Colour Surge Quad in Teddy Bear is great (even if the name is a little twee). The shadows go on well and evenly, they’re very neutral, and pretty fool proof. It even comes with two little brushes. It highlights my eyes without looking like I’m wearing a lot of makeup. Good luck in your search!

Hi Garance, I think you will love the new Burberry eyeshadow quads because the packaging is cute and the colours are all very neutral and easy to coordinate. The Burberry single eyeshadows are also stunning.

I love the highly pigmented paint pot in ‘Groundwork’ by M.A.C.! Sometimes I mix it with other M.A.C. shadows along the crease of my eye, but I also use it alone or with eyeliner for a minimal, neutral effet.

I love the Naked palette by Urban Decay. They aren’t crazy colors and range from barely-there to smoky shades, matte to glittery. I find I can use them for every occasion without feeling like a 50s Barbie doll. Hope you have fun experimenting, since it’s half the fun.

Try Burberry’s eyeshadow palette!
The packaging is adorable – a mirrored check, and the check is also printed on the eyeshadows.
The quality of the eyeshadows is also AMAZING – so smooth you can either use one of the three brushes it comes with or your fingers!!
Trust me, their makeup is totally worth checking out!

Laura Mercier in Fresco (matte, soft enough texture and high pigmentation for fast application)
Its color: a beautiful skin/intense pink (though not the pastel idea of pink) – perfect for both no-make up and anti-make up looks (I know you are not scared of contradictions or paradoxes!! :)
Once on, the difference that it makes is amazing! It is so good it is not fun to shop for eye shadows anymore, i.e. it is perfect!
And its name is perfect because it really reproduces the tones you may see on a madonna’s face in a 16th century fresco!

This is one of my new favorites for a quick shadow job (hehe). The packaging isn’t the cutest, but it’s cheap! And easy! I just use my finger to put it on. You can start with a little and add more depending how bold you want it. if you are trying to put under your eye, use your pinky! I love the green shade, because I am have fair skin and brown [curly] hair and eyes..I think the green just enhances it all.
Hope you like it!

I’m a lover of kohl too, I like a dark brown, BUT, you can replace it with a single eyeshadow and kinda use it the same way. I do one little smudge along the top lashline, smudge it a bit more a
and that’s it! And you could just get another lighter one for the bottom, if you so wish. The one I use is Chanel and has a mirror and a brush. All you need and understatedly cool! :)

Have loved reading everyone else’s favourites here! (I am also a lover of the Urban Decay Naked and Basic Palettes). Easy ones are NARS double in Kalahari, or single in Nepal (my all time favourite) or Smashbox in Torch – all go on easily with your finger!
Lou @ The Honesty Path

mac has the best pigments by far. and they have a huge range of colors and textures so you can get really specific with how you want it to look (super shiny, matte, very colorful, or just blend in with your natural skin tone with a tiny bit of shimmer).

shu uemura also has great texture and you can build these cute palettes of 4 in a chic purse-friendly packaging.

Garance, that is such an amazing photo of you! Do you really need to change your eye makeup? You look great! But ok, sometimes we get a wild hare, right? I suggest the L’Oreal quads or duos you get at the drugstore … yup, that’s right. I know. But the packaging looks OK next to my more expensive stuff. More importantly, it stays better than some expensive brands I’ve tried (can we say Laura Mercier???!!! I was so mad!!! Major crease in less than an hour.)

I think, like some others, Chanel makes the best eyeshadow. Great texture, highly pigmented, great colors – and luxury packaging. Love!
Particularly the 4-shadow combination for traveling….CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES QUADRA EYESHADOW. The best.

Bobby Brown cream eyeliner heather…there r other neutrals…it is so easy to apply use your finger…u can’t make a mistake…YSL waterproof eye pencil black #1..line the inside of your top lid..#5 it’s a orchid shade ..finish with YSL mascara…I line my lid with these pencil…i line my lids with Makeup Forever aqua black…i use a shu uemura 4F sable brush very fine brush or Bobby Brown ultra fine eye liner it is thicker then the shu uemura brush

Cream shadows are great to use because they are super easy to put on, you can just smudge them with your fingers, and they are very long lasting, so don’t crease. Chanel Illusion D’Ombres or MAC Paint Pots are great, as are the Max Factor ones, so you can play without spending too much while you decide. I love a blog by Lisa Eldridge that taught me how to do make up properly totally from scratch, there are tones of ideas on there!

By MAC : MALT eye shadow all over the lid. It’s warm, soft and neutral. You can practically apply this one in the dark! For a subtle liner use CARBON again by MAC. Pure black powder! And it lasts! Yes, you need a brush. For a more intense liner use ARMANI waterproof eye pencil- fantastic!

Garance, have you ever tried cosmetics from 100% Pure? They are fantastic and are only made with natural ingredients and dyed with fruit pigments instead of chemical dyes. It’s like putting the most pure things possible on your skin! I use their foundation powder and it’s so super good for someone with oily skin like me. And their eyeshadow pots are so cute – I just use my finger. I love it!! :)

Hi Garance, I have a similar colouring to yours (well, I flatter myself lol, anyway dark brown hair and eyes) and a very simple way of doing eye makeup (as a busy photographer I am always on the run but I also need to look presentable = it makes me to feel and work better) which you might find helpful:

1. tightline your upper lash line with a non smudgy eye crayon – I use MAC Teddy at the moment (beware of gel crayons like Urban Decay 24hr ones when you wear contact lenses: they smudge on the contacts and you see the world blurry – VERY distracting!) – wriggle the crayon well into the base of eyelashes – it is like magic! Makes your eyes defined but not like you are wearing makeup kind of way.

2. if you like to step it up a notch – make a messy line on your upper lid (I do not do a lower lash line as it makes me to look tired) with the crayon

* you might like to use an eyeshadow base if you have a long day/evening – NARS Smoodgeproof one is the best on the market, nothing budges or creases.

3. smudge the crayon with the best single dark brown eyeshadow that is on the market imho: Guerlain’s Ombre Eclat 1 Couleur no 187 ‘L’Instant d’un soupir’ – pigmented, blendable, has a little sponge applicator perfect for smudging the crayon on the go, built in large mirror. Does not migrate and has a subtle miltidimensional micro sparkle (it is NOT glitter) that makes the brown eyes stand out. Travels well in it’s velvet pouch too.

4. curl eyelashes

5. apply mascara

All DONE under 2 minutes (I’ve tested that over and over) and lasting throughout all day photoshoot, also outdoors (and it can be a challenging weather in Scotland!). I hope you’ve found it helpful.X

My favorite is Smog from Urban Decay. It’s a perfect bronze that I swipe on with my finger (I cant even be bothered with brushes!) Another great “I’m not wearing makeup” eyeshadow is Taupe from Bobbi Brown. It’s a very subtle matte nude that’s just dark enough to make you look like you rolled out of bed looking super sexy.

Bobbi Brown Cream Eye Shadow in Ballet Pink or Sand Dollar for sure! I’m also a fan of the Caviar and Oyster Eye Palette which includes sparkly, natural tones. What I love about Bobbi Brown makeup is that it doesn’t make anyone look too overdone, it’s just right!

The ABSOLUTE BEST is from RMS BEAUTY http://rmsbeauty.com/ amazing colors and the purest organic makeup you can find. A makeup artist friend introduced me to them and it’s the first eyeshadow that I ever actually use! It’s finger makeup by design and comes in the prettiest packaging, it’s a little pricy but lasts forever and you’ll actually wear it. Oh, and they’re one of the few makeup brands sold at Colette, need I say more?

I know what you mean but unfortunately you must experience too many kinds before you find a great shadow. The packaging might be amazing but the color so-so, the color looks amazing but doesn’t go on as you hoped, the list goes on & on.

That’s why most people have a love/hate relationship with eye shadows and sometimes just wear lliner – but that’s because most shadows crease, wear off and don’t deliver. I have really liked the Dior ones in the pot – just use your finger. Or, Stila smudge pots (funny name cause they don’t budge once on) – but you need an angled brush. I have a very cute smashbox set which comes with a little brush (perfect for travelling) but tends to wear off. I sell beautiful Mica Beauty shades on my website (over 100 shades) which are 100% mineral, can double as liners and are water resistant (they say proof but if a tsunami hits let’s face it…..we don’t really know. Check it out at:http://www.intrigueimports.com

I only by MAC eyeshadows. Always get many compliments and they seem to last all day. My two recent purchases, I’m absolutely in love with them. Mulch and Woodwinked. They are beautiful bronzy/brown/coppery colors. They work nicely alone and together. I use an all over beigey color then combine the two for a nice subtle smokey effect and a little highlighter just under the eyebrow and mascara.

My mum gave me my first box when I turned sixteen, saying it was the perfect thing for real women (but probably more because I kept ‘borrowing’ hers). The dark blue box with the shiny silver letters made me feel so special.

The 5 couleurs series are perfect: they stay on for a whole day without using a primer and are super easy to use. Every box has five matching colours, with different textures (matte, creamy, shiny) and different brushes. It even has instructions on how to apply it (which colour to put where).

I have Sunset Cafe (440), which works for natural day looks as well as more smoky evening eyes. The box fits perfectly in a purse, but looks even better on a dressing table!

I’ve always been a liquid liner girl – until I moved to Malibu many moons ago : ) Since then it’s bare faced, lashes and cherry chapstick ( and a fabulous tan from spring to winter ) that’s it – however, my fave shadows will always be L’Oreal. They have the best blacks, grays and neutrals – easy to find ( any drugstore – at least here in the US ). Classic! xo

If I’m in a hurry I like cream shadows, since I can put them on with a finger or a brush. I like Laura Mercier’s – sheer color but you can build them to more color if you like. Also MAC Paints or Paint Pots are great – they last longer than Laura Mercier’s (as in, they last ALL day). For a powder shadow I like MAC the best, they have a large selection of colors and textures. If you’re looking for a natural effect, get a matte or velvet texture. I also like Urban Decay, Laura Mercier, and Stila. If you also want to line your eyes, I love Urban Decay’s 24/7 pencils – they go on easily (no pulling on your tender eye lids) and they last pretty well.
Let us know what you decide to try!
Donnahttp://www.prettysparklythings.blogspot.com

I’ve been extremely loyal and in love with Laura Mercier’s Metallic Créme Eye Colour in Alloy. It’s a perfect neutral for me, sorta taupe, sorta silver, sorta pewter. One tube lasts and lasts, almost 2 years and almost daily usage.

NARS Night Flight. It’s a beautiful midnight blue that makes brown eyes pop. I wet my eyeliner brush and use it as a liner and sometimes I also use it as a shadow at night (Confession: I have brown skin, so not sure how this color will work on lighter skin, but your eyes will definitely pop). Night Flight’s my new black. The only downside: does not come with a brush, though I have a retractable eyeliner brush that takes up almost zero space in my makeup bag.

Urban Decay Naked palette2 – it contains 12 perfectly coordinated and blendable neutral hues (as you want eyeshadows easily worked with), giant mirror and double-sided brush (really cool one, I can do my all eye make up with just these two brushes). Considering that the palette is sleak and light, this is the prefect travelling partner:) No brainer!

Sephora’s store brand is great. I have a palette of theirs that’s just black, brown, light gray, and a white highlighter, and most days that one palette covers everything I need. No included brushes, but Sephora also has every kind of brush you could ever want, and they sell little travel-brush kits.

Try Shiseido Trio eyeshadow, it offers perfect and very creative color combination and packaging is very neat and chic, 2 brushes included. Easy to apply and don’t have to think too much to stand out. :)

ha ha, this made me laugh as just YESTERDAY i thought the exact same thing (39 years old and unable to put on make up other than tinted moisturiser and mascara… pathetic!) and i took myself into bobby brown and came out pleased – although i fancied severe black punk-y eyes and some bright lipstick, the girl patiently explained to me why that won’t work for me (i just looked like a beaten wife / transvestite on the few occasions i’d previously attempted it) and why soft pinks work for me. i came out with a few products that i’m sure i’ll actually use, and thoroughly recommend it. (i did the same at Mac a few years ago and it was less successful, I think the girls working there are more high fashion and less – let’s say – realistic.) good luck! love your blog (that’s not meant to sound sycophantic) – merci bcp. emma (www.nomadthief.com)

Go to a Mac counter and pick out a neutral base, a blender tone, a dark for liner and a bright for contrast. There are hundreds to choose from and the staff know their palette really well. They put your selection into a compact. If you find you arenot really using a colour you can replace it very easily. You do need brushes. I used to buy Chanel compact with four colours but there was always one less useful colour.

Clinique, double due I would say, perhaps if you wish to enhance! Nude colours compliments just about any face. I prefer going slow on Kohl pencils, it can be harsh. Estee Lauder has a stunning soft pencil with a spunge at the other end to blend it in and to soften the blow making it appear more natural.

Chanel Illusion d’Ombres are a wonderful texture between shadow & cream, can be made sheer or more intense and no creasing. I have blue eyes & love the soft gold and the amethyst, but you should try them all. Otherwise Nars has beautiful colours & textures if you like brights or Burberry for lovely subtle shades. I like a colour wash over the eyelid then a very bright eyeliner (D&G have great pencils and liquid liners) and purple or dark green mascara. Lilacs & golds would look wonderful on you, have fun

Chanel
Illusion de ombre
83
you can use it wet as a liner (lick your brush LOL) then use the dry bit as a powder;
colour starts of gentle / intensifies with further application
somehow does not sprinkle over your cheeks and stays on all day
the only eye shadow I would ever buy

hmmm, something simple, that goes with everything, and you can’t possibly screw up if you tried (speaking from experience) is Naked Lunch by M.A.C.; totally sheer, with a hint of shimmer that won’t make you feel like a disco ball. Put it on dry with your fingers during the day, and with a wet brush if you want it more intense at night. It’s magic. Promise!

I used to be all about eyeshadow in crazy colors mixed with a nice liquid lined cat eye back when I was in high school, but over the years I wised up and decided it was a bit too intense for the every day woman. My makeup routine’s quite minimal:

When I want to jazz it up and throw a wrench in the system I like to use Stila eyeshadow in Kitten. It’s a color that universally looks good on ladies of all skin types, colors and hair and isn’t super intense that it’s the first thing you notice. Simple, beautiful, clean with a hint of shimmer – no brush included.

Garance! You must get any palette by LORAC, especially the Croc Palette. It is so perfect, buildable, and totally made for “dummies”. It is the only palette I feel comfortable using if I only have 10 minutes to put on makeup and want to look hot.

I’ve got Urban Decay’s palette Naked2 and I have to say it’s pretty good! It comes with a double brush and it has got several neutral eyeshadows plus a dark brown and a dark black if you feel like doing a smoky eye :)

Hello,
Emily from Into the Gloss did a great piece on a subtle smoky eye with . . .L’oreal Infalliable eye shadow. She used Eternal Black which I got as well as Smoldering Plum and Bronze Taupe. You can run down to the closest drug store for instant gratification and then check out all the other Chanel, Mac etc suggestions and compare:)

LORAC is the beautiful secret I want to tell everyone! I actually chose their eyeshadows over the beloved Naked2 palette. The eyeshadows can be so subtle and mysteriously beautiful. So easy to use and such luxurious texture! I just apply a bit with my fingers and go!

There’s an italian brand which is very good, I don’ know if it’s very popular abroad but they sell in many foreign countries so I think you could find it. Its name is Kiko. The eyeshadows come in many colors, they last a lot (I have delicate eyes and never had a problem with Kiko eyeshadows and mascaras). The packaging is no the most beautiful, honestly, but you should try. Honestly their texture is the same of Chanel’s, which I like, too. Urban Decay eyeshadow and primer are great (and vegan), too.
Sometimes the brushes are included but I can’t be helpful because I prefer to buy them separately, I have lots of brushes.
Your post are always so funny!

I would recomend Mac eye shadows, they have the best pigments in the market. If you are looping for something easy to use, try the paintpots or cream color base, that you can apply with your fingers. Copper or toupe are easy to combine with everything, but be carefull with dark circles, you should wear a concealer too.

Garance, Ellis Faas eye-cream/shadows come in a cute, slim, light-weight, easy-to-use-and-store silver “pen”, which glides on wet and dries with a slight sheen.

It comes as a brush-tip or a sponge applicator embedded in the “pen”, with the additional joy of being gentle on the eye area, easy to remove with cleanser. However, don’t let the ease of application and gentleness required for its removal fool you! The colours stays on all day – even in sweaty Singapore.

Great shades – I like two: the first, a deep copper near the lash line: smear a tiny bit on your little finger and smudge across close to the upper lash line, or use the brush to draw a line quickly as desired – again using fingers to smudge. It always makes me look fresh and awake, and I don’t need to wear any mascara if I don’t want to (most of the time).

The second is from the sponge applicator range, which has a phenomenal, deep algae blackish-green (sounds awful but looks so good once it’s on the eye) that I like instead of traditional black. It’s great for day applied gently, and very dramatic – without taking away from your natural features – at night, when topped up.

Both shades and textures work well for almost everybody, but those with dark brown eyes and brunette features will love how the deep copper and that blackish-green bring out their eyes.

And, if you are feeling adventurous, you can apply one shade on top of the other, or apply one shade on the top and another on the bottom – close to the lash line.

I rather like how they look without mascara – it lets the colours really come through, and looks fresh on the face like this.

Hello Garance, I do not wear lot of make up, but if I would like to add a little to my eyes, I use what my beautician calls the “for your eyes only”. I liked a make-up she did on a photo-shoot and I asked her to tell me what it was. I was begging and begging and she had a great time not telling me! And all she told me – what apparently she told everyone “I apply this for your eyes only” – but never the name of the color. Once in Vienna with the girls I spotted a color I finally liked. I picked it up, had to have it, thinking, this is my color. As I trust this woman deeply (she is the one to make sure that my skin looks nice since I was a teenager, and we also work together a lot) I had to have her opinion on the color. I showed her the little black pot. All she said was “this is for your eyes only”. I picked the exact one! : )) It is called the satin taupe from MAC.